Also indexed as: Wheat Germ Oil (Octacosanol)
Octacosanol is a waxy substance naturally present in some plant oils and is the primary
component of the sugar cane extract called policosanol.
Where is it found?
Octacosanol is a waxy substance found in vegetable oils and sugar cane (Saccharum
officinarum). Another compound, called policosanol, contains a large amount of
octacosanol, along with several similar compounds.
Octacosanol has been used
in connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual
health concern for complete information):
Who is likely to be deficient?
Because octacosanol is not an essential bodily constituent, deficiencies do not occur.
How much is usually taken?
When octacosanol is taken as part of policosanol, 5–10 mg of policosanol is taken
twice each day with meals. For exercise performance, 1 mg per day of octacosanol has been
used.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
Long-term trials in humans using amounts up to 20 mg per day have not shown any negative
effects.1
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions
with octacosanol.
References:1. Pons P, Rodriguez M, Robaina C, et al. Effects of successive dose
increases of policosanol on the lipid profile of patients with type II hypercholesterolaemia
and tolerability to treatment. Int J Clin Pharm Res 1994;14:27–33.